Improvement in harvesters



` 2 Sheets--Sheet l. S. JOHNSTON.

Harvester. e

Patented Nov. `4, 1862.

Lilhumpher. wnlhimm. D. C

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. JOHNSTON. Harvester.

I Patented Nov. 4, 1862.'

PETERS. Pnewmnognpw. wahingmn. n4 a v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i entrent` JOHNSTON, OEBUEEALO, NEW vonk.

IMPROVEM ENT IN HARVESTECRS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,843s dated November4,1562.

To @ZZ whom it may, concern,.-

machine, the hand-rake being in position for` sweeping grain from theplatform. Fig. 2 isl a perspective view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the machine, the hand-rake being in y position to make a returnmovement, it having passed over the platform and swept thegraintherefrom. Fig. 3 is a section through the support of the pitman-gearingand ofthe fingerbeam. Fig. 4 is a plan of the cam-track, illustratingthe relation sustained by the friction-roller `of the angular rake-arm`at different stages ofthe raking` operation. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection ofthe cani-track, showing the operationlof the yielding gatewhich controls the positionof the rake at the completion of the strokeover theplatform. Figs. 6 and 7 are other details of the machine.

Similar letters of reference in the several` figures indicatecorresponding parts. y

My invention relates, first, to a combination and arrangement of partswhereby the inner shoe acts as a brace to the finger-beam, andthemeshing of the pitman-gearing is 4mmaintained, while the outer end ofthe finger-beam A has freedom of motion up and down, and when necessaryboth the inner and outer ends of the finger-beam y maybe adjustedtogether, either higher or lower, the whole arrangement giving increasedcompactness and convenience` and the several parts mutually aiding tosupi port one another.

`SecondVit also relates to certain details of this combination. i y eThird,it relatesto an improved construction of automatic hand-rake, thenovel parts of which being the undulating groove or camtrack withyielding gate, theguiding-standard, the crane, the angular rake-arm, andth esc in` combination with the rake and drivers seat and ngerbeam.Fourth, it relates to a novel construction andarrangement of adjustablepole-plate.

| 'Io enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the same with' reference to the drawings.

rlhe machine is` made with two large wheels, A B, each on its'own axle aa. The drivewheel A isupon .the left-hand side of the machine, and thesupporting-wheel B, which is of sniallerdiameter and hung lower, is onthe right handI thereof about three feet. Both these wheels aresurrounded by a strong frame, C D, on which the gearing and also theaxles of the wheels and the drivers seat D are mounted. Internalcog-teeth, b, are provided in the drive-wheel, and into the same apinion, E, meshes, the line-shaft F of this pinion ex* tending acrossthe front end of the machine on top ofthe frame OD, and carrying on itse other end a bevel-pinion, G, which meshes into a bevel-piniomH, of thepitman-gear .I

`K. The line-shaft F is supported by two boxes, c d, one on the frontrail of the frame and the other on the side rail thereof.

The forward railIof the frame is extended about one foot beyond theinner side rail, as `at e, with a short arm, f, extending back, forminga hinging support, as at g, for one of the forks, h, of a strong hanger,I, said hanger supporting the pitman-gear H .I K and the ngerbeam L. Theother fork, h', of this hanger is braced upon a tubular extension, i, ofthe box c, upon which it playsloosely. These two forks thus hinged havetheir axes of motion in line with the line-shaft F. The hanger I may bemade of cast metal, and should havea partitioned recess or depression,I', in its rear lower part, forth'e reception of the inner end of theiingerbeam L and the crank K ofthe pitman, the latter being crooked andfastened by a hinge-joint, M, onthe brackets ofthe hanger, and thenshaped so `as to run upon the ground 4when the machine is used formowing.

At the rear terminus ofthe hanger I a curved extension-bracket, I27rises, and terminates in a flat flange, I, which runs at right angl esto the front side of thebracket-F Ainto a curved,

slotted, and perforated guide-standard, O, as

represented. A pin, Z, is used toconnect the bracket of the hanger andthe guide-standard together. The guidestandard O is bolted rmi ly to theframe C I), as indicated at k. From the shoe Pat the heel of thefinger-beam there is extended upward and inclining inward a strongbrace-shield, P', which is hinged upon the hanger I, so as to have itsaxis of motion in line with the hinge-joint M of the fingerbeam andconcentric with the pitman-shaft J.

By means of the hinge M the outer end of the finger-beam has freedom ofmotion to accommodate 'itself to the surface of thel ground, and-bymeans of the two/ j oints, g and M, with their auxiliaries, thefinger-beam with cutting apparatus may be raised at both ends, and heldin a convenient position for transportation or for cuttinghigh aboveground, the adjustment not interfering with the motion of the fingerbeamon its hinge M; and as the two hinges are respectively in line with thepitman-sha'ft J and the line-shaft' F, the gearing will always be in aposition to operate the knives at any elevation of thefinger-beam. Thepinion H,

moving with the hanger I in the path of a ver-L tical circle, rises onthe bevel-wheel G, but never changes its gearing relation.

It will be seen from Eig. 3 the shield P of shoe Pis hinged to atubularextension, m, of the box a, through which the shaft J plays freely, andtherefore neither it nor the'hanger I, with pitman-gear, can be affectedby any elevation or depression ofthe finger-beam L on either of tliehinges M and g, the whole moving' together on the axis which is in linewith the shaft F; hence the working of the gearing will always be freeand perfect if in order.

In order to regulate the draft of the machine, a pole-plate, N, which isconstructed with an open slot, o, on its under side, is tted around thefront rail of the frame C D, and held there by means of a separateplate, p, and two screws applied against the under side of the frontrail of the frame. rIhis pole-plate N has a circular hole, o,'and anoblong hole, 02, through it, to

receive' the fastening-bolts of the pole. rIhe oblong hole allows avertical adjustment of the pole, while the construction of IJthe plateas a Whole admits, by simply loosening the screws, of a lat-eraladjustment thereof to the right or left, so as to bring the pole in thecenter of l The machine thus far described is adapted for mowing, andfor the adaptation of the same to reaping and discharging the grain inbund les suitable for gavels upon the ground at right angles to the pathof the horses, I elevate the cutting apparatus by the means and as abovedescribed, and attach a platform, Q, to the lback side of thefinger-beam, lto receive the cut grain, and an automatic handrake, to beoperated by the driver of the machine .from his seat.

The rake attachment consists of an angular standard, R R R2, acrane-like jointed arm, U V, cam-track W t t t2, a supporting orregulating stale, Y, a pivoted rake, X, and hand-lever Z, all supportedupon the finger-- beam L, and located in close proximity to the driversseat D, and nearly over the inner front corner of the platform. Thestandard R It R'Z is bolted upon the finger-beam L, near the heel of thecutters. The angle or elbow It', which is about twelve inches from thebottom, enables me to locate the rake attachment far enough back toobviate interference with the reel, and also to be convenient to thedriv ers seat, and at the same time it enables me to have the wholesupported by thefingerbeam. which is essential, in order that the wholemay be adjusted together and ,by the one set of means, whenever anadjustment is necessary to cut higher or lower, and inthe adjusting therespective parts will conform to the motions of one another. 'I heinclined eye R2 of the standard receives the stale Y through it, andserves to support the stale, while it allows the same freedom to` changeits bear ing as the rake rises and falls and swings back and. forth overthe platform. The jointed crane-like arm U V is hung in bearings NV NVof the standard, so as to swing loosely, and it extends downward andover the platform Q., and attaches to the rake X by a pivot, w, asrcpresented. The part U of this arm has its joint q in a slot, r, of theswiveling part V, so that the part U may rise and fall a short distance.Immediately below the point where the cranelike arm is hinged or jointeda short vertical extension, s, running down at right angles to thecrane-like arm, is formed on the part U. On the lower end of thisextension, which is cylindric, a vertical roller, s', is fixed so astorevolve. The bcari ng W, arranged below this roller, extends out atright angles to the upright standard R R R2 in the form of a triangle,or thereabout, and has a cam groove or track on its upper side, which isformed by :means of the outer segment-mil, t, theinner wave-like rail,t, and the spring-gateflikc section of rail I2, as represented in Figs.2, 4, and 5. y

The roller s', above described, extends down below therai'ls into thecanrtrack, and moves between them when the rake is operated to removethe grain from the platform, but out,-` side of the outer rail whenv therake is returning for a new sweep, or to" remove a fresh quantity ofgrain. As soon as the rake has completed its stroke from front to innerside of platform, the small spring-gate through which the roller s2passes is pressed open by the roller, as indicated in' Fig. 4 by dottedlines, and as soon as the roller escapes out of the groove and beyondthe gate, the gate is closed against a projection by the spring t3, soas to prevent the return of the roller on the same line. The eraneflikearm, with rake attached, is operated by the hand-lever Z, bolted to abracket, w, of the part V of said arm.1

The cam-track is of such construction, as represented in the drawings,that as the roller passes from the point shown .in full black lines,Fig. 4, to the position shown in` dotted black lines, the elbow of thecrane-like arm will be caused to rise from lthe vertical position inwhich it has `been moving (from the point indicated Vby full blue lines)to the oblique position shown in Fig. 2. l This change is necessary inorder that the rake-teeth, in

`what he last moved it.

returning, shall clear the grain on the platform. In this elevatedposition the rake remains until the proper time for again sweeping theplatform arrives, when the driver moves the lever Z in a conversedirection to Thus :moving the lever causes the roller to return, but onthe outer `corner of the segmenterail t, it being impossible, for Wantof length in the extension s, for it to standvertical in its return, andtherefore it maintains its oblique position, and in turn holds therake-teeth high enough to enaj` ble them to clear the grain ont-heplatform untilthe return-stroke is completedi and it (the' roller)fallsoff of the segmentlrail t and again enters the depressed track. Assoon as this occurs the driver pulls in an opposite direction upon the`lever, and thus causes the rake again to sweep off the grain from theplatform. rIhe movelnentsofthe rake are repeated from time to' time, asrequired, to deposit the out gra-in in suitable bundles'.

' `The arrangement described gives great cont rol to the op eratorbothfor the removal of heavy grain and speedy performance ofthe same,and,withal, the raking attachment is convenient to the drivers seat, andtherefore the raking and driving may be performed by one person.

The bearing WV, with its cam-track, may be i extended and varied, so asto accommodate the motions of the rake to the different sizes and formsof platforms, either for side or rear delivery of the cut grain; and ifdesirable, under any circumstance, to j convert the attachment into aWholly mechanical operating device, that may be effected by attaching apulley and suitable gearing to the main shaft ofthe drive-Wheel andconnecting the same with the lever Z 5 but such change will hardly bedesirable, as the hand operation gives full control of the rake inreaping thick and thin grown Wheat.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-,

,1. The arrangement and combination, in a reaper and mower, of thehanger I, curvedguide O, hinge-joints M and g, and shield P of shoe l),or their equivalents, constructed and operating substantially in themanner and for the purpose described. 2. Constructingl and arranging thebearingn m substantially in the manner described, in co1nbination Withthe pitman-shaft J, shield P', and hinge-j oints M andg, forthe purposeset forth.

3. The hanger I l I2 I h h, constructed as described. 4. Arranging theautomatic rake attachment upon the inner end of the finger-beam by meanswith journals and with points of attachment` for the lever Z and part Uof the arm, sub stantially in the manner described.

8. The combination of `the yielding gate t2 and the rails t t of thegrooved or cam-track` W, substantially as and for the purposedescribed..

9. rIhe bearing V,With a groove and rails t t t2, constructed andoperating as described, in combination with the extension s s of thepart U of the craneslike arm, for the purpose set forth. l

10. The construction and arrangement of the pivoted spring-gate at theend of the horizonA tal groove or cam-track, substantially as and4 forthe purpose setfortli.

11. The combination, in an antoniatichandrake attachment, of the eye Rland the stale Y, for the purpose set forth.

l2. The construction and arrangement of the open-slotted vadjustablepole-plate N p, as described, and for thepurpose set forth.

\ i SAMUEL J OHNSTGN. Witnesses:

Geo. H. HUGHsoN, GIBsoN F. HOWARD.

